Duke of Sussex arrives at High Court for high-stakes legal battle.He added that he had been left “paranoid beyond belief” by the alleged hacking and blagging, and that it had placed a “massive strain” on his personal relationships.
The High Court heard that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) “knew they had skeletons in their closet”, with Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne telling the court that there had been “clear, systematic and sustained” unlawful activities spanning at least two decades.
The duke is in attendance alongside several other household names, including Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, pictured right, all of whom are all taking action against ANL.The group claims that the publisher carried out or commissioned unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records and accessing private phone conversations. Their lawyer, David Sherborne, told a previous hearing that unlawful acts included listening to live landline calls and obtaining medical records.
The nine-week trial will see Harry take to the witness stand, while several journalists and editors, including long-standing former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre, are set to give evidence.
ANL, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday, has strongly denied wrongdoing.